Vornholt, John 1951-

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VORNHOLT, John 1951-

(Carolyn Goode)

PERSONAL: Born 1951; married; children: two.

ADDRESSES: Home—Tucson, AZ. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Pocket Books, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

CAREER: During early career, worked as a playwright and screenwriter in Los Angeles, CA; currently freelance writer.

WRITINGS:

(With Ashley Grayson) Computers to Go: A Guide to the Briefcase Portables, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1985.

Mummies (nonfiction; for children), Avon (New York, NY), 1991.

Break a Leg!: Famous Curses and Superstitions, Avon (New York, NY), 1994.

YOUNG-ADULT NOVELS

How to Sneak into the Girls' Locker Room, Avon (New York, NY), 1993.

The Fabulist, Avon (New York, NY), 1993.

The Witching Well (horror), Random House (New York, NY), 1995.

The Tale of the Ghost Riders, Alladin (New York, NY), 1996.

Primal Rage: The Avatars, Berkley (New York, NY), 1997.

Chi and the Giant, Berkley (New York, NY), 1997.

Lai and the Headhunters, Berkley (New York, NY), 1997.

Tsun and the Rats, Berkley (New York, NY), 1997.

Yee and the Wolves, Berkley (New York, NY), 1997.

Yun and the Sea Serpents, Berkley (New York, NY), 1997.

Valley of the Lizard, Berkley (New York, NY), 1998.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, (screenplay adaptation) Alladin (New York, NY), 2001.

(Under pseudonym Carolyn Goode) Cupidity, Simon Pulse (New York, NY), 2005.

"STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION" SERIES; NOVELS

Masks, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1989.

Contamination, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1991.

War Drums, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1992.

Rogue Saucer, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1996.

First Contact (screenplay adaptation), Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1996.

Dominion War, Book One: Behind Enemy Lines, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1998, published as Dominion War, Book One: Tunnel through the Stars, 1998.

Insurrection (screenplay adaptation), Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1998.

Quarantine: Double Helix, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1999.

Gemworld, Book 1, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2000.

Gemworld, Book 2, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2000.

The Genesis Wave, Book 1, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2001.

The Genesis Wave, Book 2, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2001.

The Genesis Wave, Book 3, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2001.

Star Trek Nemesis: A Novelization for Young Readers (screenplay adaptation), Alladin Books (New York, NY), 2002.

The Genesis Force ("Genesis Wave" series), Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2003.

A Time to Be Born, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2003.

A Time to Die, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2004.

OTHER "STAR TREK" NOVELS

Sanctuary ("Star Trek" series), Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1992.

Star Trek Generations (screenplay adaptation), Alladin Books (New York, NY), 1994.

Antimatter ("Deep Space Nine" series), Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1994.

Capture the Flag ("Star Fleet Academy" series), Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1994.

Aftershock ("Star Fleet Academy" series), Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1996.

Crossfire ("Star Fleet Academy" series), Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1996.

Mind Meld ("Star Trek" series), Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1997.

"DINOTOPIA DIGEST" SERIES; FANTASY NOVELS

River Quest, Random House (New York, NY), 1995.

(With Scott Ciencin) Sabertooth Mountain, Random House (New York, NY), 1996.

Dolphin Watch, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1997.

"SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH" SERIES; NOVELS

Prisoner of Cabin 13, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1998.

Witchopoly, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1999.

Haunts in the House, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1999.

Knock on Wood, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2000.

Gone Fishin', Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2000.

Mascot Mayhem, illustrated by Mark Dubowski, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2000.

TELEVISION SERIES NOVELIZATIONS

Voices ("Babylon 5" series), Bantam (New York, NY), 1995.

Blood Oath ("Babylon 5" series), Bantam (New York, NY), 1995.

Leather Wings ("Earth 2" series), Ace (New York, NY), 1995.

Halloween Invaders! ("Secret World of Alex Mack" series), Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1997.

Haunted House Hijinks ("Secret World of Alex Mack" series), Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1998.

Coyote Moon ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer" series), Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1998.

Joy Ride ("Journey of Allen Strange" series), Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2000.

Seven Crows ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" series), Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2003.

"TROLL KING" SERIES; FANTASY NOVELS

The Troll King, Alladin (New York, NY), 2002.

The Troll Queen, Alladin (New York, NY), 2003.

The Troll Treasure, Alladin (New York, NY), 2003.

ADAPTATIONS: Audiobook adaptations have been produced of Contaminations Simon & Schuster Audio, 1991; Book 2 of The Genesis Wave Simon & Schuster Audio, 2001; and Genesis Force, Simon & Schuster Audio, 2003.

SIDELIGHTS: An author of science-fiction and fantasy novels, John Vornholt is best known for stories based on popular television series, such as Star Trek: The Next Generation, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Babylon 5. In his "Genesis Wave" series, commended by Kliatt reviewer Hugh M. Flick as an "excellent Star Trek series," Vornholt pits Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the Federation against an alien species of telepathic mold. The Genesis Project, introduced in one of the "Star Trek" films, was conceived as a peaceful instrument for transforming barren planets into fruitful oases. But now this project has been transformed into an instrument of war that threatens to wipe out virtually all known life in the Alpha Quadrant and transform every planet, including Earth, into an environment suited to this alien species. Picard must stop the Genesis Wave, but first he has to find the mysterious Dr. Carol Marcus, the only living scientist with knowledge of the banned Project.

Other popular books by Vornholt include Coyote Moon, which is based on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Blood Oath, which includes characters from Babylon 5, but most of his writings are set in the "Star Trek" universe, which has its advantages. As Vornholt told Shane Shellenbarger in an interview for the Central Arizona Speculative Fiction Society Web site, "A major advantage of writing Star Trek books is that they stay in print forever. Lots of bestsellers from ten years ago are out of print, but all of the Star Trek novels from ten years ago are still in print."

On the other hand, series novels do carry obvious limitations on settings and characters, and Vornholt decided to try his hand at creating his own world in a series of young adult fantasy novels that begin with The Troll King. Set in the land of Bonespittle, where ghouls and ogres rule over serf-like trolls, and a ruthless sorcerer named Stygius Rex rules over all. As a talented bridge-builder, a young troll named Rollo finds himself drawn into the schemes of Stygius Rex, who dreams of building a bridge in order to conquer the Bonny Woods, where elves and fairies live free. Rollo is even taught to fly in order to join a scouting expedition to the Bonny Woods, but there he befriends a fairy and learns that he has been lied to about these people and, indeed, about many other things. He returns to lead his fellow trolls against their tyrant king. A Publishers Weekly reviewer found that the "lickety-split plot has some imaginative twists and turns, but they're beset by thickets of clichéd characters." More favorably, Kliatt reviewer Lynne Remick predicted that "this action-packed tale will appeal to those who enjoy wars of will and battles in alternative worlds." Vornholt followed up The Troll King with The Troll Queen and The Troll Treasure.

Vornholt also takes a turn away from fantasy with the novel How to Sneak into the Girls' Locker Room, which "captures the trials and tribulations of junior high," according to a Publishers Weekly reviewer. Under the name of Carolyn Goode, he has also combined fantasy with the very real tribulations of high school in Cupidity. When misfit teen Laura Sweeney cries out to the gods to answer her prayers for a boyfriend, a semi-retired Jupiter sends Cupid to help out. Soon, very odd events are happening at Fimbrey High School, and Laura must find a way to set things right. The result, according to Kliatt reviewer Lynne Pisano, is "an unusual, satisfying premise that will delight anyone who was ever on the fringe of the popular crowd."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, August, 2002, Kelly Milner Halls, review of The Troll King, p. 1965; December 15, 2004, Ilene Cooper, review of Cupidity, p. 736.

Kliatt, March, 2002, Hugh M. Flick, review of The Genesis Wave, Book 2, p. 25; November, 2002, Lynne Remick, review of The Troll King, p. 28; September, 2004, Hugh Flick, Jr., review of A Time to Be Born, p. 33; November, 2004, Hugh Flick, Jr., review of The Genesis Force, p. 24; March, 2005, Lynne Pisano, review of Cupidity, p. 26.

Publishers Weekly, August 23, 1993, review of How to Sneak into the Girls' Locker Room, p. 72; August 5, 2002, review of The Troll King, p. 73; January 17, 2005, review of Cupidity, p. 57.

School Library Journal, August, 2002, Beth L. Meister, review of The Troll King, p. 198; September, 2003, Patricia A. Dollisch, review of The Troll Queen, p. 222; February, 2005, Andrea Tarr, review of Cupidity, p. 136.